Special needs childrten: 'Early acceptance vital'

Dubai: The FIA Vice President for Sport, Mohammad Bin Sulayem, made an impassioned plea to parents of children with special needs. He said early acceptance could only to ease the difficulties in later years.

Bin Sulayem, who is also President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), an active member of the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA), the world governing body for vintage vehicles, noted that children are God's gift to mankind and "it is our duty to ensure that those who need special care are given that care. But this is only possible if parents acknowledge this reality at an early stage in order to make things easier in the years ahead,"

"I can tell you [parents] there is no stigma attached to these children; we have to accept them and care for them. Most importantly, we have to have the patience to understand them," Bin Sulayem said while lauding the role of Dubai Autism Centre.